Palace Theatre plans updated as locals protest

The developers of the Palace Theatre site in Melbourne have slashed the height of a proposed tower but this hasn't stopped local music fans stepping up a campaign against the redevelopment.

In late September Jinshan Investment Group revised plans for its apartment and hotel development.

Red outline indicates previous plans, Source: Urban Melbourne

It has reduced the height from 99.75 metres to 72.25 metres while the setback to Bourke Street has been reduced from 8 metres to 5 metres, according to plans by architecture firm Bates Smart viewed by Urban Melbourne.

This has reduced the $180 million development to 22 storeys, but the general external design remains the same.

There are now just 90 one-bedroom and two-bedroom apartments, significantly less than the 145 in the previous application. There are still 200 hotel rooms in the development – just five less than before.

The group bought the site in 2012 for $13 million and lodged original plans to build a W Hotel on the site in July.

Meanwhile a campaign to save the Palace Theatre, a famous Melbourne music venue, is aiming for 30,000 signatures.

And more than 600 people have indicated they will attend a rally at the State Parliament on October 12.

Source: Urban Melbourne

Planning Minister Matthew Guy dismissed previous plans in early July, saying the developers were dreaming.

"The developer is dreaming if he thinks the government is going to approve this in the form in which it has been submitted.  It is too tall, it is in the wrong location,” he told ABC Radio in July.

Melbourne Heritage Action, a local action group, objects to the plans.

We believe that it is completely unsympathetic to the heritage values of the Bourke Hill precinct, destroys a building (and a part of a second building) of local heritage significance (and) ignores height controls designed to protect the low scale of the precinct, which help maintain its heritage character,” the group says on its website.